Cornelius clark



the opposite edge.

UNITED NSTATES PATENT OEEICE.

CORNELIUS CLARK, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

MAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,865, dated November4, 1890.

Application filed September '7, 1888. Serial No. 284,816. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS CLARK, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Mats, of which the following is a specification.

I will describe the invention as carried out with a familiarmaterial--ordinary cocoa ben-to form the strands of the mat; but it willbe understood that other material may be used. The strands are bent soas to give the required open-work character to the mat.

I use two strands, each of which extends across the goods with theproper convolutions and then returns straight. One strand enters andreturns from one edge andthe other from The strands are held in place bystitching. The stitches proper are Set angularly as follows: one in thestraight Strand inclined to the right and one in the sinuous strandinclined. to the left are connected together, and then another pair ofstitches oppositely inclined are connected, and these form doubledstitches from the attachment of one loop or bend of the sin nous to thestraight strand.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification andrepresent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure I is a horizontal section of mat, showing both the relation ofthe strands and of the stitches; and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing thestitches on a larger scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in. all the gures whenthey appear.

The mat may be produced by hand or by the aid of machinery. I willdesignate the strand which extends straight across the mat A and thesinuous st-rand B. I will designate the four doubled stitches orstitches yoked together in pairs the iirst pair G and I-I and the secondpair I and J. I will use supernumerals, as G', when necessary todesignate special parts of each stitch.

To form the stitch G a bight of the thread or twine is carried upwardthrough the straight strand A, inclined to the right, as shown by G',and back again at nearly the same inclination, as shown by G2. Next,before this stitch G is drawn tight the stitch H is initiated bycarrying a bight first down inclined, as shown by H' thence back atnearly the same inclination, as shown by H2, and thence through thebight of the stitch G, and is eX- tended along to the right, as shown atH3. The thread is then extended singly to the right, as shown by E, andthe second pair of stitches is commenced by carrying the bight ofthethread downward inclined, as shown by I', back again, as shown by 12,and then carrying a bight of the thread upward inclined, as shown by Jdownward inclined, as shown by J 2, and through the bight of stitch Iand away to the right. Then I produce adummystitch K by carrying abightof the thread or twine up nearly perpendicularly, (assuming the mat tobe held as in the drawings,) and thence down again nearlyperpendicularly, but sufficiently apart to take proper hold of the cocoaor other strong fiber of the matstrand A, and thence through the bightof the previous stitch J and away to the right, the

stitch to .the right being always engaged by a succeeding stitch, thusforming a continuous and yielding or elastic chain. Thus I continueacross the entire mat and back again as many times as required.

The forms of the sinuous bends are not essential, as I can make them anyshape that may be required, or that may be made by hand. I tra-versealternately in opposite directions, feeding in one direction while thestrand A is being gathered into the proper sinuous line and secured tothe adjacent straight edge of the strand B, and feeding in the oppositedirection while the strand B is being gathered into the proper sinuousline and being secured to the straight portion of the strand A. I esteemit preferable in making mats of large size to traverse the operationacross rather than the mat. I have in my experimental work held the matstill, except as it is moved the proper amount to bring the completedportion and the new strand into the proper position for each traverse.

The enlarged view in Fig. 2 shows the junction of the straight with asingle-looped or sinuous strand, such as obtains at one edge. (Shown asthe upper edge of the mat in Fig. l.) After the work has been carriedonce across, the strand B is ext-ended straight across on the IOOback-stretch, and now the straight strand is sewed not simply to onesinuous strand, but to two, one applying above and the other below thestraight, as shown in the middle of Fig. l; but the formation of thestitches is identical with the formation shown in Fig. 2. In eachposition the sinuous strand or strands being held in the proper positiontemporarily by the hands of the operator or by any suitable tool ormachine, the several stitches are set and tightened, after which thebends are strongly held by the stitches.

There may be a margin formed of any number of circuits'of one or both ofthe strands A B, or of a separate strand of the same or a differentmaterial applied and strongly stitched around the edge. The stitches arepeculiar in the regularity of succession ot' the angular dummy-stitches,and particularly in the character of the stitches in beinginconspicuous. They are formed by a sewingmachine or by other means,which cause the thread to traverse through two strands and then toreturn at a small angle. The width of the punctures appearing on theface side of the mat is very slight, so that when the thread is drawnwith a proper tension to sink it a little below the adjacent portion ofthe strand the stitches are perfectly concealed.

It will be understood that the stitches are what are technically knownas chainstitches They join the parts strongly and permanently andA holdthe several convolutions of the strands in position, while by reason oftheir being chain-stitches they are sufficiently elastic to allow themat to be bent as much as ever required in practice.

The stitches may be made with a straight needle instead of a cord. It isonly essential to my invention that they be arranged as shown, and thatthey be chain-stitches or other elastic stitches capable of yieldingsufficiently without overstraining or breakingunder all the conditionsto which mats are eX- posed in practice in being stored, used, orcleaned.

I claim as my invention- The mat described, composed of separate strandsA and B, one extended straight and the other sinuously, united byelastic stitches G H I J, inclined and connected substantially as shownand adapted to serve as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New York city, this4th day of September, 1888, in the presence ot two subscribingwitnesses.

CORNELIUS CLARK.

Witnesses:

W. B. GoNsALvEs, THOMAS DREW STETsoN.

